After working overseas for nearly 20 years I retired in 2021 at age 50. I will quickly answer the two most common questions I am asked. Do I miss my career working as a diplomat? Nope! Do I have any regrets about retiring early. Absolutely not! The last three years have passed quickly, and I cherish spending more time with friends and family as well as enjoying hobbies old and new. Below are six observations of early retirement after three years. Here are the links to my init

This article is part two in a series, the previous article looked at three questions to help focus on the non-monetary goals in...

There are two main concerns for retirees when drawing down assets in retirement. The first is longevity risk which is whether they will have enough money to last their lifetime. The second is minimizing tax obligations to keep more of their retirement savings. Retirees need to consider a few key decisions to help navigate these two concerns. These include deciding on a safe withdrawal rate of savings in retirement, when to apply for Social Security Retirement Benefits and how

As a kid growing up there was a cartoon called the Adventures of Gulliver. One of the characters is Glum , who offers only negativity whenever his team faces a challenge. His comments follow a running theme, "It will never work," "We're done for," or "We're doomed". As a kid I saw this character as comedic relief. But as I got older, I realized this is actually a common mindset, particularly when it comes to personal finance, investing and pursuing financial freedom. Trust D

One of the key advantages of retirement plans like 401k accounts, Thrift Savings Plan for federal government employees or traditional...

Building a diversified portfolio with multiple income streams is a great strategy for financial freedom and early retirement. Income...

The 4% Rule Origin Story Many savers are familiar with the 4% rule for drawing down savings in retirement. William Bengen launched the 4% rule revolution in 1994 with his article Determining Withdrawal Rates Using Historical Data . Bengen found that a retiree with a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds could sustainably withdraw 4% of their portfolio each year. Retirees will need to rebalance their portfolio once a year, many choose to use their birthday. Retirees are able t

Retirement should be a period of low stress, financial security and enjoying time with family and friends. A secure and stable retirement...

Cash Out Refinancing Overview One of the best ways to build significant wealth is through periodic cash out refinancing of real estate....

Annuities Overview An annuity is a financial product investors purchase to receive a series of future payments. For example, Lars pays...

No investor is perfect, we all make mistakes, and sometimes they are big ones. Part of becoming a successful investor is accepting this...

Walking Away Feels Better Than Expected I always knew it would be nice to retire. But I did not realize, until it was gone, how...

Factors Causing Real Estate Prices to Rise The real estate market remains highly competitive and many buyers are finding it hard to...

The Biden Administration and Congress are working to impose new taxes particularly on higher income earners. This includes raising...

Depreciation is a Tax Deduction Investors new to real estate are sometimes confused by how depreciation works. Depreciation is simply a...

Investors often have a great plan to save for retirement, but neglect to consider how they will drawdown these assets in retirement. Some retirees also find the transition from asset accumulation to distribution to be a bit scary. This is understandable as these assets offer security and peace of mind. A successful retirement requires a proper distribution plan. The steps below will help you design a sustainable and tax efficient plan for drawing down your assets. Put Your Po

This article is the second in a series, please start with part 1. 6) Don’t Hold Too Much Cash Some investors become more risk averse as...

As you reach age 50 it is time to get serious about your eventual transition to retirement or semi-retirement. Consider these ten factors...

Is $2 Million Enough to Retire? We have all seen the articles questioning if a certain sized portfolio is enough to retire. Whether it is $1 million, $2 million, or $5 million, this is really not the right question to be asking. The ability to retire is not based on portfolio size, it is based on a retiree's annual household spending and the amount of income generated from their portfolio. To prevent surprises in retirement it is also important to assess how retirement funds